Buffalo China Co., China Replacement, Restaurant Ware

Buffalo Pottery’s history began in 1903 when the Larkin Soap Company of Buffalo, New York began making pottery and china to offer customers as premiums when they purchased soap products by mail order or through select retail outlets.

While the soap being sold was the focus of John Durrant Larkin, his brother-in-law Elbert Hubbard, who was a salesman with the company, spearheaded the marketing plan that resulted in the now-famous pottery company. An ardent follower of William Morris, Hubbard organized the legendary Roycrofters in his home in Illinois. His fascination with the Arts and Crafts movement no doubt influenced the hand decorated art pottery Buffalo distributed with soap in its early years. Hubbard tragically lost his life on the Lusitania in 1915, but the pottery company he inspired continued to live on, according to an online article by Brice Garrett.

The first Buffalo products were actually semi-vitreous dinnerware sets. In fact, this was the first American-based company to produce a line of Blue Willow ware, and their mastery of blue-printing china rivaled that of English factories. They also developed a line named Gaudy Willow which featured multi-colored decor. Other early products included game, fowl and fish sets - styles popular the world over in the early 1900s. They made advertising plates and mugs as well. Buffalo also made commemorative and historical lines including Roosevelt Bears, Cinderella, George Washington and more.